THE POLISH DIASPORA: PART 3 FAMOUS POLISH AUSTRALIANS

The first Polish immigrants arrived in Australia in 1856 settling in the region called Clare Valley. It was later renamed Polish Hill River.  It wasn't until the end of WWII that Australia witnessed the first massive wave of Polish refugees. With the loss of their homeland, Polish people who had become displaced during the war were not able to return to Poland. Between the years 1947 and 1954, the Polish population in Australia rose from 6,573 to 56,594 people. The next wave of Polish immigrants arrived during the emergence of the Solidarity Movement in Poland, especially after the declaration of martial law. Between 1980 and 1991 the Australian government granted permanent entry to masses of Polish refugees. (The Australian Institute of Polish Affairs was immediately created in response to public interest in the political changes taking place across Central and Eastern Europe.The Institute focused largely on Polish history, politics, and culture.)

Although the Polish people integrated very well into the Australian community, and contributed with their talents and labor, they never abandoned their Polish identity.  It is interesting to note that the highest mountain in Australia is named Mount Kosciuszko (after General Tadeusz Kosciuszko, the Polish-American hero of the American Revolutionary War.) Polish roots run deep.

Mount Kosciuszko - Australia's highest mountain

Whether they call themselves Australian-Polish, or just Polish, or just Australian,  Polish immigrants have made significant contributions to Australia. There are numerous Polish athletes of every genre who chose to compete for Australia, far too many to list here. The following are just a few of the extraordinary Polish-Australians who have not only made a name for themselves, but brought great honor to Poland as well as their new homeland.

Famous Polish Australians

ZYGMUNT EDWARD "ZIGGY" SWITKOWSKI

At the age of 24  had already earned a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in nuclear physics.  Then went on to complete six years of postdoctoral research, and completed an advanced management program at Harvard Business School. His name is Zygmunt "Ziggy" Switkowski.

The name Switkowski is synonymous with Telstra, Australia's telecommunications and media giant. Zigmunt was appointed Chief Executive Officer at Telstra, as well as to the Board of Directors of Foxtel (Telstra's pay television affiliate).  During his tenure, he implemented numerous services such BigPond, the major internet service provider, as well as Pacific Access, the advertising and directories subsidiary. ( However, in 2002 the later was renamed Sensis.)

Under Switkowski's direction, Telstra shares were sold on the Australian Stock Exchange, the New Zealand Stock Exchange and  New York Stock Exchange. It was the second tranche of its kind - the first having been conducted before Switkowski joined Telstra as CEO.  He also oversaw the third tranche, after which he resigned from his position at Telstra in 2004.

Before Telstra, Ziggy had served as Chief Executive Officer at Optus, a telecommunications company; at Kodak (Australasia) as Chairman and Managing Director; and at Amcor, a multi-national packaging company.  He received the Advance Australia Award (1995) for outstanding achievement in industry and commerce. In 2011 he was appointment Chancellor at the prestigious RMIT University. It's one of the top 10 universities in Australia, and ranks among the 100 top universities in the world.

Switkowski also served as Chairman of  the Commonwealth Government inquiry regarding domestic nuclear power (2006); Chairman of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (2007);  President of the Board of Directors of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (2006-2009);  directorships with Healthscope (2006) and Tabcorp Holdings, (2006) as well as Director of Rare Earth miner Lynas Corporation (2011). He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

In 2011, Switkowski officially became the Chancellor of the Royall Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)

PETER LUCZAK

Peter Luczak is a retired professional tennis player, who at the height of his career ranked number 64 in the World.  At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, Luczak won the Gold in doubles.  He started playing tennis at the tender age of five, thanks to his doting father Kris.

But it was not until he attended Fresno State University that he finally obtained the funding he needed to pursue his tennis dream, while he studied for his finance degree. In his senior season  Luczak accomplished 27-0 score before being upset in the first round of NCAA Tournament.  He held the record for the most singles win.

While on a break from university in 2000, Luczak made the professional circuit playing for the ATP Futures and ATP Challenger Series. In the same year he made the Futures final in Clearwater but lost to Dmitry Tursunov.  His fortunes changed, and in the following year, Luczak won 4 Futures titles, and finished the year ranking at 280.

In 2002 Luczak won his first title in Granby, at the ATP Challenger Series, but lost to countryman Scott Draper in the final. In 2003, he played his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open and in the third round defeated Attila Savolt and Renzo Furlan before losing to Mario Ancic. 

In 2004 at the Challengers, Luczak won 2 more events -  in Canberra and Kosice; victories which he attributed to his much favored clay surface.  In 2005 he debuted in the Davis Cup but lost to Guellermo Coria.  However he reached the semi-finals beating Fernando Gonzalez at the Brasil Open before losing to Alberto Martin.

Luczak succeeded in matching his best Australian Open performance in 2006 by reaching the third round. But he then lost four sets to Tommy Haas. Luczak competed in the Davis Cup playing against Switzerland and defeated Michael Lammer, helping Australia to win that tie.

By 2007, Luczak had reached the prestige of being classed in the top 100 for the first time in his career. He attributed this achievement to winning a career best four titles in the ATP Challenger Series - all on clay.  Unfortunately, it was subsequently followed by loses in the Roland Garros and in Belgrade.

A stress fracture of his pelvis in 2008 put him out of commission for 14 weeks. He returned to compete against Chile in the Davis Cup. Then remained in South America to play the Copa Petrobras series, again on clay.  We won Montevideo beating Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 7-6 in the semi finals before getting a walkover from Nicolas Massu in the final.   Luczak won the Copa Petrobras Masters event at which the best performers competed in a play off; he beat Thomaz Bellucci.

Luczak was elected to the ATP Player Council comprising Roger Federer (President), Rafael Nadal (Vice President), Novak Djokovic, Michael Berrer, Yves Allegro, Eric Butorac, David Martin & Martín García.

In 2009, while still on the mend from his pelvis injury, Luczak attempted his comeback, but lost in the last round of qualifications, to Wayne Odesnik in the Challenger circuit. He continued the circuit making the semis in Burnie and Meknes. He failed in the second round of the Roland Garros qualification to Alexander Flock, after having 5 match points.  However he defeated Flock in the last round where we won the event. 

Luczak won the challenger in Poznan and made the semis in San Marino but lost to Potito Starace.  He won another Challenger title in Cordenons, defeating Christophe Rochus and Oliver Rochus in the semi final and the final.  In October 2009, Luczak reached a ranking of number 64 in his career.

He competed at the Medibank International in 2010 in Sydney, defeating Jose Acasuso of Argentina in the first round, as well as Tomas Berdych in the second round.  Unfortunately he lost to Mardy Fish in the quarter finals and to Rafael Nadal in the first round of the Australian Open.  He went on to compete in the 2010 Movistar Open, reaching the quarter finals before losing to Juan Monaco.

In 2010 at Wimbledon, Luczak was recognized for his ability to deliver the fastest serve in the history of Wimbeldon - at 148 mph!!
.

YVONNE STRAHOVSKI

Yvonne Jaqueline Strzechowski, known as Yvonne Strahovski, is an Australian actress. She adopted the name Strahovski for the sake of easier pronunciation at the suggestion of her producer.  

She began her career in Australian television appearing in films and television roles. She performed for the satirical show, Double the Fist and in the Australian drama series Headland, as well as Channel Nines Sea Patrol. It was not long until Yvonne moved to the United States and began work in the NBC series Chuck (2007-2012) where she portrayed CIA Agent Sarah Walker.  This was followed by a role in the series Dexter (2012), where she played the role of Hannah McKay.

Incidentally, Strahovski speaks Polish fluently, and in a few episodes of the Chuck series, the writers incorporated a few words in Polish in the scripts; ( in the episodes of Chuck Versus the Wookiee, Chuck Versus the Three Words, and Chuck Versus the Honeymooners.) 

In 2010 Strahovski received the Teen Choice Award for Choice Action TV Actress in her work in Chuck, as well as receiving a nomination for the Spike Video Game Awards, for Best Performance by a Human Female for Mass Effect 2.  Teen Choice Awards nominated her again in 2011.  In the same year, Cosmopolitan Magazine (Australia) awarded Strahovski the Fun Fearless Female of the Year along with Favorite TV Actress.

Strahovski appeared in Mass Effect Galaxy, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3.  She was the voice of Miranda Lawson and had her face scanned and animated in Mass Effect 2.    She appeared in the 2011 film Killer Elite next to co-stars Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro.  She also appeared in the 2012 comedy, The Guilt Trip, with Seith Rogen and Barbra Streisand.

She played the female lead in I, Frankenstein (Nov 2011) and joined the cast of Dexter for the seventh season (June 2012) In December 2012, Yvonne  made her Broadway debut in the revival of Clifford Odet's Golden Boy (Dec 2012) where she won a Theatre World Award.

Yvonne Strahovski is an avid supporter of PETA and has appeared in their campaign ad for "Adopt, Don't Buy".  She was honored  with the 2012 Australians in Film Breakthrough Award, along with Liam Hemsworth for their work in international roles. Yvonne is soon to reprise her role as Hannah McKay in the eighth season of Dexter.

 

 

MICHAEL KLIM (OAM)

Klim was named Male Swimmer of the Year in 1997 by Swimming World Magazine. In 1998 and 1999 he was named Athlete of the Year by the Australian Institute of Sport, and was inducted into the AIS Best of the Best in 2001!

Two years later he set a world record in the 100m butterfly - twice. And did it in 51.81 s. However in 2003 World Championships in Barcelona, Ukranian Andriy Serdinov broke the record for 100m butterfly in the first semi-final, and it was broken in the next semi-final by Michael Phelps. (Subsequently, Phelps's record was bested by Ian Crocker in the finals.)

MEDAL ACHIEVEMENTS

ATLANTA OLYMPICS 1996

Klim ranked first in the world for 200m freestyle, but surprisingly was eliminated in the heats. Nevertheless he succeeded in qualifying for finals in the 100m butterfly and competed the freestyle in the 4 x 100m medley relay, and won a bronze medal for the latter category.

1998 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS - Perth, Australia

Klim drove the crowd wild as he rapidly advanced to become the leading swimmer of the meet, winning an impressive array of medals.
 

Klim's Medal Standings FINA World Championships 1998: 
GOLD  200m Freestyle
SILVER 100m Freestyle
BRONZE 50m Freestyle
GOLD 100m Butterfly
SILVER 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay
GOLD 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay
GOLD 4 x 100m Medley Relay

2000 SYDNEY OLYMPICS

At the Sydney Olympics Klim set a world record of 48.18 in the 4×100 m freestyle relay (it paved the way for a world record 3:13.67). Three days later, Klim was part of the 4×200 m freestyle relay, which achieved another world record of 7:07.05. However, his 100m freestyle world record was bested in the semi-finals by Pieter van den Hoogenband and Klim finished in 4th place in the finals, a bitter defeat indeed.  He later commented that he turned first at the wall but for some reason he claimed that his legs gave way in the second half of the race.

In the 100 m butterfly, the same thing happened: he was first turning at the wall at world record ace,  but for some reason was defeated in the closing stages by Sweden's Lars Frolander.  Klim finished in second place.  On the final night of competition, Klim won silver as part of the 4×100 m medley relay team.

Klims Medal Standing at the Sydney Olympics : 
SILVER  100m Butterfly
GOLD 4 X 100m Freestyle Relay
GOLD 4 X 200m Freestyle Relay
SILVER 4 X 100m Medley Relay

2001 FINA WORLD CHAMPSIONSHIPS -  Fukuoka, Japan

(In 2001, Klim suffered an ankle injury which restricted him to relay events. But it lead to another world record, and a gold medal in the 4×200 m relay (7:04.66). He also won a gold medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay.

In 2002 and 2003, Klim remained inactive because of chronic back and shoulder problems. Klim attempted to get qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics, but failed. However he was permitted to do a swim off and compete in the relays. Unfortunately Australia was unable to win the 4 x 100m event, and ceded victory to team USA in the 4 x 200m. Australia won the silver.

2005 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS - Montreal Canada

Klims Medal Standing
BRONZE  4 X 100m Freestyle Relay

2007 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS - Melbourne Australia

Klims Medal Standing
GOLD  4 X 100m Medley Relay

Retirements

Klim retired from competitive swimming on the 26 June 2007.  At the time he ranked 94 in 100m freestyle. But in February 2011, he announced a comeback, setting his sights on the 2012 London Olympics, only 14 months away.  Sadly he did not qualify and retired once again.  He established a skin care company of which he is founder and CEO,  "Milk and Co."

On the 14 February 2011 Klim announced his return to competitive swimming, hoping to compete in the London 2012 Olympics. Ultimately Klim failed to qualify for the team.

Michael Klim (OAM) was born in Gdnia, Poland on August 13, 1977. He attended University High School in Melbourne, and Wesley College.  Incidentally, the OAM stands for Medal of the Order of  Australia. It is bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II, to Australian citizens for their great achievements.  The only other Polish-Australian to have received the OAM was Stanislawa Dabrowski (1998) a devoted humanitarian, and Citizen of the Year (1996)

STUART MUSIALIK

Among the throng of professional footballers in Australia, Stuart Musialik is a shining star. He reached not only national fame, but international plaudits for his amazing talent and skills.  He was on the Australian roster for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, following which he played for the famous Olyroos (nickname for the Australian Olympic Soccer Team) against the team from Chinese Taipei.  His exceptional performance in Beijing in the 2008 Olympic campaign ranked him among the top echelon of footballers in the world.

Musialik was born and raised in Newcastle, Australia and began playing at a young age.  He is of Polish origin. When he was just nineteen years old he played for the Weston Workers Bears. and was awarded a Newcastle Jets spot. The Weston Bears won the Premiership and reached the Grand Final of the NBN State Football League, but lost to Broadmeadow Magic. In this period, Musialik played alongside Nigel Boogaard.

Musialik played in the A-League's for Newcastle Jets for three seasons.  Unfortunately he was suspended in game one (Sept 27, 2007) after a verbal altercation with Melbourne Victory defender, Rodrigo Vargas.  The match ended in a 2-2 draw.

In the 2008-2009 season, Musialik joined Sydney FC under the tutelage of John Kosmina.  Stuart signed a two year contract with option for extension. He declined the offer, opting instead for a pay increase, but ultimately left the team at the end of the 2010-2011 season. Musialik signed a one year deal with Central Coast Mariners in July 2011.

According to Jet's Head Coach, Gary van Egmond, Musialik is "a very, very smart footballer, has lovely touches, and he's already starting to talk to some of the younger boys and give them the benefit of his experiences"  This year Musialik has been training with the Jets with intention of playing in the 2013 NBN State League competition. Though Stuart has been out of the game for some time, he has proven his ability to get back in the game.

Stuart Musialik highlights (00:06:02m)

HONOURS

Team SYDNEY FC

A-League Premiership 2009-2010

A-League Championship 2009-2010

Team NEWCASTLE JETS

A-League Championship 2007-2008

Coach's Award 2006-2007

Team CENTRAL COAST MARINERS

A-League Premiership 2011-2012

KEITH URBAN


Yes, that's right. Keith Urban has Polish roots! The name given to him at birth was Richard Keith Urbanski. Though he was born in Whangarei, New Zealand,he and his parents immigrated to Australia, and lived in Caboolture, Queensland. At the age of six, Keith was already thinking about making it in the music industry and by seven years of age was learning music techniques. By eight he was winning song contests! A few years later he made regular guest appearances on the Reg Lindsay Coutnry Homesttead TV show, Mike McClellands Music program and many other televisions shows.

In 1990 Urban signed on with EMI in Australia and recorded his first solo album. He achieved 4 No. 1 hits in Australia, New Zealand and Germany. In 1992 he moved to Nashville and worked as a guitarist for Brooks Dunn and appeared as backup in the music video for Mercury Blues. He later formed his own band, The Ranch which released its own album in 1997. But in 1998 he disbanded the group to concentrate on a solo career. He released an album in 1999 which garnered three top 5 hits and earned him Top New Male Vocalist Award at the 2001 Academy of Country Music Awards as well as the 2001 Country Music Association's Horizon Award.




Keith Urban - Little Bit Of Everything (00:03.37m)

Keith Urban is recognized for his extraordinary guitar skills, and has performed on albums for Garth Brooks' Double Live, Dixie Chicks', Fly, and Paul Brandt's This Time Around. Urban served as judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards. His generous contributions are responsible for helping the careers of many independent artists around the world

Keith Urban is joining the judges panel of American Idol for its 14th season!He will be joined by Harrry Connick, Jr. and Jennifer Lopez.

Discography

Studio Albums

Keith Urban (1991)

Keith Urban (1999)

Golden Road (2002)

Be Here (2004)

Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing (2006)

Defying Gravity (2009)

Get Closer (2010)

Fuse (2013)

Compilation Albums

Days Go By (2005)

Greatest Hits: 18 Kids (2007)

The Story So Far (2012)

Number One Singles

But for the Grace of God (2001)

Somebody Like You (2002)

Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me (2003)

You'll Think of Me (2004)

Days Go By (2004)

Making Memories of Us (2005)

Better Life (2005)

You Look Good in My Shirt (2008)

Start a Band (w//Brad Paisley) - 2009

Sweet Thing  (2009)

Only You Can Love Me This Way (2009)

Without You (2011)

Long Hot Summer (2011)

You Gonna Fly (2012)

Little Bit of Everything (2013)

AWARDS

2001 Awards

Top New Male Vocalist           Academy of Country Music Awards

Horizon Award                        Country Music Association Awards

Outstanding Achievement Award   ARIA Music Awards           

Male Vocalist Award               VMA Awards

2003 Awards

Country album of the year

GOLDEN ROAD                    ARIA Music Awards

Song of the Year

"Somebody Like You"             BMI Awards

Video Clip of the Year

"Somebody Like You"             TCMA Awards

2004 Award

Male Vocalist of the Year       Country Music Association Awards

2005 Awards

Album of the Year

Be Here                                   Academy of Country Music Awards

Top Male Vocalist                   Academy of Country Music Awards

Country Album of the Year

Be Here                                   ARIA Music Awards

Male Vocalist of the Year       Country Music Association Awards

Entertainer of the Year           Country Music Association Awards

International Artist of the Year   Country Music Association Awards

Top-selling Pop Catalog Album of the Year

GOLDEN ROAD                    Billboard Awards

2006 Awards

Best Male Country Vocal Performance

YOU'LL THINK OF ME          Grammy Awards

Top Male Vocalist                   Academy of Country Music Awards

Male Vocalist of the Year       Country Music Association Awards

2007 Awards

Best Country Album               ARIA Music Awards

LOVE, PAIN & THE WHOLE CRAZY THING

                       

2008 Award

Best Male Country Vocal Performance

STUPID BOY                         Grammy Awards

2009    Awards

Vocal Event of the Year

START A BAND  (w/ Brad Paisley)   Academy of Country Music Awards

Musical Event of the Year

START A BAND  (w/ Brad Paisley)   Country Music Association Awards

Collaborative Video of the Year

START A BAND  (w/ Brad Paisley)   CMT Music Awards

Country-Favorite Male Artist              American Music Awards

2010 Awards

Best Male Country Vocal Performance

SWEET THING                                  Grammy Awards

Favorite Male Artist                             People's Choice Awards

Best Male Video                                  CMT Music Awards

2011 Awards

Best Male Country Vocal Performance

TIL SUMMER COMES AROUND                Grammy Awards

Choice Music: Male Country Artist                 Teen Choice Awards

2012 Award

Best Original Song

FOR YOU (nominated)                                  Golden Globe Awards                                                           

NEXT

(please click link below)

THE POLISH DIASPORA: PART 4

FAMOUS POLISH FRENCH

THE POLISH DIASPORA: PART 2 FAMOUS POLISH AMERICANS

The making of an America begins at the point where he himself rejects all other ties, any other history, and himself adopts the vesture of his adopted land.  
                                                                                                              James Baldwin

There is something profoundly unnatural in the concept of erasing every vestige of one's past. In doing so we destroy our very essence and identity in order to become cloned specimens of a New Culture, devoid of a soul.  Despite what some would have you believe, America is not a melting-pot.  The term has long outlived its relevance, if it has ever had any significance.  One has merely to look around to notice that communities everywhere are composed of many ethnic groups. They are all American, but still embrace their own cultures and traditions.  

The existence of this dichotomy should not be construed as any kind of betrayal to the United States, but an affirmation that all Americans have much to gain from the cultural diversity within its borders.. It's as if the world were brought to America's doorstep.  Lest we forget, America was built on the blood, sweat and tears of its immigrants:  Italians, Chinese, Greek, Mexicans, Philippinos, Indians, Pakistanis, Turks, Vietnamese, Cubans, Koreans,  Germans, Japanese, Lebanese, Portuguese, Romanians, Russians, Egyptians, Ukrainians, Iranians and many other nationalities.  

Among the fold are great Polish-Americans.  Sadly many of them have severed ties with their homeland in both name and spirit. It is saddening to realize how little they know about their own history and culture.  I believe that Polish Americans must attempt to reconnect with their roots; to discover and understand the close bond between the peoples, and governments of Poland and the United States, and to realize what great contributions Polish people have made.

Great heroes of  American history, such as Casimir Pulaski and Tadeusz Kosciuszko are well known among the Polish, but remain obscure or completely unknown to the general American public. Perhaps it is because for so many youth today, history is regarded with disdain, as something to be left buried in the past. 

Therefore I will dedicate this post to some of the great Polish Americans of our time. This is Part 2 of the Special Series on The Polish Diaspora, showcasing some of the most famous Polish Americans, some known, others still obscure.  Most importantly is the realization that Polish Americans are the life-blood of the country.  Their excellence and devotion to their respective chosen fields have elevated American Honour and prestige at home and around the world.  God Bless Poland and God Bless America.


ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI

Zbigniew Brzezinski is a native Son of Warsaw, Poland, whose family roots stem from the szlachta, (the Polish nobility)  of Traby coat of arms.  His father, Tadeusz Brzezinski was a diplomat posted to Germany, and to the Soviet Union during the pre-war years. Zbigniew, then only a young boy was already exposed to and aware of the realities and dangers of the rise of Nazism, and Stalins Great Purges. However, in 1938 Tadeusz was reassigned to a posting in Canada where he settled with his family becoming, in essence political refugees. There is no doubt that the events of World War II left an indelible mark on Zbigniew.  It was his calling to eventually become one of the greatest American statesmen in history.  Mr. Brzezinski clearly acknowledged, during an interview, that the cataclysmic events in Poland during WWII deeply affected his perception of global politics and made him 'much more sensitive to the fact that a great deal of world politics is a fundamental struggle."

Zbigniew received his early education in Montreal, Canada and went on to study at the prestigious McGill University earning his Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in 1949 and 1950.  Not surprisingly his thesis focused on the scope of multinational creeds prevalent in the Soviet Union, a discipline that was to become an intrinsic part of his political strategy.  

It is noteworthy to mention that his studies at Harvard marked a distinct turning point in his career. Zbigniew realized that there were opportunities in the United States not to be had in Canada.  Central to his vision was the eventual dismantling of Soviet domination in Poland as well as throughout Eastern Europe.  In 1957 Zbigniew visited Poland for the first time since he left as a boy.  What he saw confirmed his thesis - that is, internal rifts existing within the Eastern bloc would inevitably precipitate its decline (ie. Polish Protests, and Hungarian Revolution).

During his career, Mr. Brzezinski dealt with major US foreign policy issues which included SALT and SALT II (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties), brokering the Camp David accords, as well as establishing normalization with the People's Republic of China.  Despite the importance of many other issues, none was as urgent as the need to undermine the power of the Soviet Union.

Acting as advisor to John F. Kennedy campaign during the 1960 US Presidential Elections, Brzezinski aptly predicted the future collapse of the Soviet Union, based on his premise of internal national rifts.  However for the time being he chose to maintain a non-antagonistic policy towards the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe  In 1964, he supported the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential campaign and his civil rights policies.  Brzezinski served as a member of Johnson's Policy Planning Council of the US Department of State from 1966 to 1968. Incidentally, he was influential contributor to the famous "Bridge Building: speech.

In early 1976 the world witnessed the birth of power of the new-found Solidarity movement, and the wave of labor protests and riots that ensued in Poland,  Brzezinski was instrumental in emphasizing human issues in the "Basket II" of the Helsinki Final Act. This in turn, inspired the creation of Charter 77 in Czechoslovakia.

He was appointed the US National Security Advisor under the Carter Administration from 1977 to 1981. Brzezinski was openly critical of the policy of detente established by Nixon and Kissinger, a situation which benefited the Soviet Union.

Despite the changes in office, Brzezinski's focus on Polish affairs never wavered.  He criticized the imposition of martial law in Poland in 1981 and condemned Western European leaders for their failure to back Polish dissidents.  In 1987 he briefed then US Vice-President George W. Bush before his trip to Poland and was instrumental in reviving the Solidarnosc.

Brzezinski served as a member of the Chemical Warfare Commission (1985), US. National Security Council-Defense Department Commission on Integrated Long-Term Strategy (1987-1988), and on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, (1987-1989); Co-Chairman of the Bush National Security Advisory Task Force (1988)

Also in 1988, Brzezinski published, "The Grand Failure" which aptly predicted that Gorbachevs reforms would fail leading ultimately to the collapse of the Soviet Union.  By the following year, the Soviet Communists were unable to mobilize support in Poland and Solidarnosc swept into power following the general elections.  In late 1989 Brzezinski toured Russia and visited a memorial to the Katyn Massacre.  He asked the Soviet government to admit to the truth about Katyn.  The following week the Berlin Wall was toppled and so did the Soviet satellites, one by one.

STEPHEN GARY WOZNIAK



If you have ever heard of "Woz" or "The Woz" then you know who I am referring to! It's the nicknames of Polish American inventor and computer genius, Stephen Gary Wozniak. Contrary to popular belief, it's not Steve Jobs who was synonymous with Apple, but rather Stephen Wozniak!!


The Woz single-handedly created and developed Apple I, that made him, and the trademark famous around the world.Wozniak designed the hardware, circuit board designs and operating system of the computer. On April 1, 1976 Apple Computer came into existence, with Wozniak as vice-president in charge of Research and Development (R&D)

Not resting on his laurels, the Woz, again single-handedly, designed Apple II. It was the first personal computer that demonstrated the capacity for color graphics, as well as contain built-in BASIC programming.


       "Woz, I believe, qualifies as the greatest all-around hacker.  He could design the hardware - he could design the software, right from the start from pencil and paper level and make it go."    (from The Secret History of Hacking.  You Tube video - link below)


Just as things were taking off, tragedy struck. On February 7th, 1981, Wozniak survived a terrifying plane crash.Soon after takeoff from Sky Park Airport in Scotts Valley, California, Wozniak's Beechcraft Bonanza A36TC stalled while in ascent and crashed, but not before bouncing down the runway, smashing through two fences and finally ending up in an embankment. Wozniak's passengers, Candice Clark (now his wife),her brother and his girlfriend were injured. Wozniak sustained severe injuries to his head and face and for several months struggled with anterograde amnesia. He could not recall the events of the crash, the duration of his recovery in hospital, nor his activities shortly after release from hospital. Wozniak did recover, and by May 1982 he was finally back in form.

Wozniak triumphant return was marked by his participation as a sponsor for two festivals in the U.S. celebrating computer technologies. The events were an astounding success as they ballooned into a huge festival combining technological developments, music, computers, media and people. A year later Wozniak was back working at Apple, focusing mainly on engineering endeavours as well as grooming an elite workforce.

By February 1987 however, Wozniak resigned from his position at Apple after twelve years of having made brilliant contributions to the company, as well as the field of computer technology. To have continued working at Apple was "the bane of his existence."

However, his new endeavour was every bit as progressive as his inventions: he chose to teach computer classes to students from ranging from mid-school to high school, as well as to teachers. He envisaged that computers would become an integral part of people's lives. Wozniak was indeed a man beyond his time. Nothing could have generated the computer revolution, were it not for Wozniak's dedication to enlighten and educate the young generations. During this period of time, Wozniak also created and developed the first programmable universal remote control, which went to market in 1987. In 2001 he founded his company Wheels of Zeus (WoZ!) from which emerged the latest technological wizardry - GPS technology! Oh, how people forget!

Upon leaving Apple, Wozniak generously donated all the money, and on-site tech support for the technology program in his local school district in the Bay Area.Wozzie Awards (the Stephen G. Wozniak Achievement Awards) were given to students recognized for their innovative use of computers for use in the business, art and music fields.

HONORS AND AWARDS

 

Grace Murray Hopper Award (1979)

National Medal of Technology (1985) presented to Stephen Wozniak and Steve Jobs, by US President Ronald Reagan.

Fellow of the Computer History Museum (1997)

Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose (the street in front of the museum was renamed Woz in his honor.

National Inventors Hall of Fame (Sept 2000)

7th Annual Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment (2001)

Isaac Asimov Science Award (2011) presented by the American Humanist Association

Telluride Tech Festival Award of Technology Global Award of the President of Armenia for Outstanding Contribution to Humanity Through IT (2011)



HONORARY DOCTOR OF ENGINEERING DEGREES


University of Colorado at Boulder - 1989
North Carolina State University - 2004
Kettering University - 2005
Nova Southeastern University - 2005
ESPOL University in Ecuador - 2008
Michigan State University - 2011
Concordia University in Montreal Canada - June 22, 2011
State Engineering University of Armenia - November 11, 2011<
Santa Clara University - June 16, 2012<



PATENTS (Stephen Wozniak is listed as sole inventor)


US Patent No. 4,136,359 — "Microcomputer for use with video display"(for which he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

US Patent No. 4,210,959 — "Controller for magnetic disc, recorder, or the like"

US Patent No. 4,217,604 — "Apparatus for digitally controlling PAL color display

US Patent No. 4,278,972 — "Digitally-controlled color signal generation means for use with display"


FILMS ABOUT THE WOZ

Jobs (2013) Film about the life of Steve Jobs. The actor Josh Gad portrays the role of Wozniak. (link to You Tube trailer)

Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) Film chronicles the rise of Apple and Microsoft to 1997. The actor Joey Slotnick portrays the role of Wozniak.

The Secret History of Hacking (2001) A documentary film narrated by Wozniak
(You Tube Video - duration 50 minutes)

Triumph of the Nerds (1996) A PBS documentary series examining the rise in popularity of the personal computer.


BOOK

iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It. (2006) Wozniak's autobiography. Co-authored by Gina Smith.

THE ORIGINAL VISIONARY IS STEPHEN WOZNIAK

SENATOR BARBARA MIKULSKI

Barbara Ann Mikulski is the great-granddaughter of Polish immigrants, and was born and raised in East Baltimore.  When she was a teenager she delivered groceries from her parent's grocery store to seniors in the neighborhood. You wouldn't have to look twice to know that Mikulski is a trailblazer, rising from the ranks of community organizer and social worker, to member of US House of Representatives (1976), to member of the Democratic Party (since 1987), to that of first woman elected to U.S. Senate from Maryland. (1986). Mikulski has the longest track record in the history of the U.S. Congress.  In fact, she succeeded on her own right, that is, she did not fill the Senate seat by appointment, nor after a deceased spouse.

Mikulski achieved many milestones throughout her political career. Her record speaks for itself. In November 1976 Mikulski won the Democratic primary, and was re-elected four subsequent times, with nary a shred of opposition. However, during the 1986 elections of the U.S. Senate, Mikulski was publicly challenged by the Republican nominee Linda Chavez, who also wanted to win the seat. Despite Chavez' efforts to publicly undermine and berate her opponent, Mikulski did not respond to the verbal attacks. When the votes were counted, Mikulski won the election with 61% of the votes.


When Senator Hillary Clinton made a bid for the presidency in 2007, Mikulski offered her endorsement and praised Hillary as an exceptional leader. She called attention of the need to break "the glass ceiling" and encouraged Americans to elect the first woman for president of the U.S.

Senator Barb was one of eleven senators who voted against resolutions which proposed the use of force in Iraq (1991, and 2002). She has opposed predatory lending, and opposed the actions of Fairbanks Capital in their foreclosure of over 100 homes in Maryland. She voted in favor of HR1424, the U.S. Senate Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which provided $700 billion bailout package to the US financial market.

Mikulski serves on various Senate Committees: the Committee on Appropriations, of which she is Chairperson; Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Subcommittee on Children and Families; Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging; and Select Committee on Intelligence.

Mikulski, Senate Women Interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC World News (00:05:12 min)

JAMES ANTHONY "JIM" PAWELCZYK

James Pawelcyzk is the first Polish-American astronaut to go into space. From April 17 to May 3, 1998 he flew aboard NASA STS-90, Space Shuttle Columbia, and served as one of the payload specialists in the Space Neurolab. Their mission was to study the effects of microgravity on the human brain and nervous system. In the space of a 16 days (no pun intended) the Columbia orbited Earth 256 times, spanning a distance of 6.3 million miles and logging more than 381 hours.

In 2003, Pawelcyzk testified before a US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation advocating for increased research on the International Space Station. Pawelcyzk is a standing member of NASA's Life Sciences Advisory Subcommittee, and has served as a member of the Research Maximization and Prioritization Taskforce in 2002

Payload specialist James A. (Jim) Pawelczyk closely monitors fellow crew member David Williams, mission specialist. The device you see is the Neurolab's Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) used during a training session at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Their objective was to discover how the human circulatory system changes during space flight. Photo credit: NASA.

James Pawelczyk was born in Buffalo, New York, and earned two B.A. degrees from the University of Rochester, in biology and psychology (1982). He earned a Master of Science degree in physiology from Penn State (1985) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biology from University of North Texas (1989). In 1992 he completed a post-doctoral fellowship at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. His academic and professional careers has focused extensively on physiology and kinesiology; cardiovascular physiology and neurophysiology; bioengineering, autonomic and exercise physiology just to name a few.


HONOURS AND AWARDS

Research Scientist, United States Olympic Swimming Trials, 1984;

Pre-doctoral training award, National Institutes of Health, 1988-1989;

Research award, Texas Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine, 1988;

Young Investigator Award, Life Sciences Project Division, NASA Office of Life and Microgravity Science Applications, 1994,

NASA Space Flight Medal (1998).





1998: Space Shuttle Flight 90 (STS-90) Columbia (NASA) (00:16:16 min)

GREGOR "GORE" VERBINSKI

Who is the most successful film director in U.S. history? Who created a string of highly commercial box office hits such as The Ring, and Pirates of the Caribbean? Who made commercials for United Airlines, Budweiser, Canon, Skittles, Coca-Cola and Nike? Whose net worth is estimated to be $110 million? Give up? It is the incomparable, genious of Gregor "Gore" Verbinski - film director, screenwriter, producer, and musician.




Gore Verbinski was born on March 16, 1964 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to Victor and Laurette Verbinski. His father was of Polish descent. Gore graduated from the famous UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Though he started his career as a musician it was not long until he made the switch to television commercials. His first feature length film, a comedy, was called "Mouse Hunt' which became an international smash hit. It was followed by the hugely successful "The Mexican" starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.

The Ring grossed over $200 million at the box offices, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl grossed even higher earnings, at over $600 million. But his crowning glory was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which grossed over $ 1 Billion worldwide. (This film is only the third ever to gross that much money!)

Gore Verbinski won 2012 Oscar for Rango - Best Feature Animated Film

A sneak peak of his future projects promises even greater successes. Verbinski is planning to film an adaption of William Monahan's rivetting novel, "Light House: A Trifle", a fictional account of an artist running from the mob, and hiding out in a lighthouse amongst a menagerie of strange and intriguing characters.

In addition, he will produce and direct a remake of the film, Clue (which was based on the popular board game.)  Moreover, he is also working on a futuristic videogame for Xbox 360..

And he is just getting warmed up....

  

The Lone Ranger Trailer #2 Johnny Depp 2013 Movie - Official [HD] (00:02:33 min)

TARA KRISTEN LIPINSKI

Tara Lipinski 1998 Olymics Figure Skating (00:04:25 min)

Tara Kristen Lipinski won the Ladies' singles Olympic Gold Medal in figure skating at the 1998 Winter Olympics. At the time she was only 15 years old and the youngest gold medalist in the history of the Olympic Winter Games.  At Nagano, in the short program, Lipinski skated to the musical score of the animated film, "Anastasia", looking every bit the part of a princess. She placed second. But in the long program Lipinski thrilled fans and judges by accomplishing seven triples, as well as her legendary signature - her amazing triple loop/triple loop combination. She topped herself yet again in the finale by performing a triple toe/half triple salchow. She cinched it. And won Olympic Gold!

TARA LIPINSKI OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

Tara was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Polish parents, Jack Richard Lipinski and Patricia (nee Brozyniak). She exhibited her innate talent at the very tender age of three when she began roller skating and later competed (and won) numerous championships. By the age of six, her focus was squarely on figure skating and well, the rest is legendary.

Lipinski first gained national attention when she won the 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival competition. Even then she was the youngest female figure skater to have won the gold. In fact, she was the youngest gold medalist - EVER - in any disciple. The following year, however, at the World Junior Championships she placed fourth, and a year later finished in second place. In 1996 at the U.S. Postal Challenge, Lipinski again carved a name for herself by successfully completing a triple loop/triple loop jump combination, that became her signature style.

Her other victories include the World Champion, and the U.S. Champion in 1997, and twice champion in the Champions Series Final (1997-1998) Incidentally in 1997, she finished in second place at Skate America albeit while suffering from a bad cold. Even so, it was an impressive accomplishment.



Tara Lipinski on Oprah (00:10:45 min)



In an interview on the Today Show, Lipinski was interviewed by Katie Couric and confided her ambition to compete professionally against other Olympic champions - a decision that elicited widespread public criticism. In the words of one journalist from USA Today, entering professional skating was akin to "joining the circus". Despite the harsh words, Lipinski followed her dream and toured with Champions on Ice in the spring and summer of 1998. She continued touring for another four seasons with Stars on Ice. It was definitely a coup for the tour operators as Lipinski held great appeal to younger audiences and attracted massive audiences everywhere she performed.

Lipinski's successes skyrocketed her to international fame, but her skating career was eventually hampered by several injuries. During practice for Stars on Ice, Lipinski suffered a hip injury and underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum. In 2002 Tara suffered another hip injury in the midst of a show and had a terrible fall during a jump. The next day the injury was exacerbated by torn muscles around the bruised area. The controversy continued as to the cause of her injuries - some people claiming it was the stressful repetition of practicing the amazing triple loop combinations.

Lipinski subsequently appeared in several television productions such as, Touched by An Angel, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Malcolm in the Middle, and many others. She also had a cameo role in the film, Vanilla Sky, was photographed for every major magazine, and appeared in every major talk show, including The Tonight Show.

AWARDS

1997       Female Athlete of the Year (by US Olympic Committee)
1999       Best Female Athlete (Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards)
1999       Best Female Athlete ( Fox Teen Choice Awards )
2000       Best Female Athlete (Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards)
2006       Lipinski was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame, the youngest to receive that honour.

Also awards from Teen People and Teen Magazines, and a flood of awards from other organizations.

And praise from adoring fans everywhere!

NEXT
 (please click link below)

THE POLISH DIASPORA: PART 3

FAMOUS POLISH AUSTRALIANS